Meet the American who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance, Francis Bellamy, found ally in nation's top teachers

Francis J. Bellamy wrote the Pledge of Allegiance in 1892 and found a powerful ally in the patriotic National Education Association, which brought it to the American schoolroom. Here's his story.

"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all," Bellamy’s American credo read it in its initial 22-word incarnation.  "The time has come when the highest ideals of American citizenship should be made part of the curriculum." -  "He distinguished himself in oratory at the University of Rochester before following his father to the pulpit." — Smithsonian Magazine "The true Americanism is a joyous sense that America must be another name for opportunity." — Francis Bellamy "We are loyal and patriotic citizens." — NEA executive Andrew S. Draper "The schoolmaster holds the future of American politics." — Francis Bellamy "What happened to the NEA is not so different than what happened to the university. They became contentious of their own heritage and their own legacy." — William Bennett "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."  Kerry J. Byrne is a lifestyle reporter with Fox News Digital.

That very same patriotic paean has in recent decades become a divisive flashpoint in the modern American culture war. Its evolution highlights a dramatic reversal of mission among the nation's largest education organization.